Gastroscope



SEARCH ROOM Ilm Nov. 16, 1948.

SUBSTITUTE FoRfMls-sme xa P. F. SALISBURY GAsTRosCOPE Filed June 2. 1947 4 INVENOR.

FETEQFAL/.r-uv

A7702 NE `outer tube ll of similar material.,

Patented Nov. 16, 1948 UNITED t STATES ement" OFFICE v Amisrnosoorn Ester-Frederic;Salisbury, LosAingeles,4 Calif. application Jane 2, 19475seria1 No. 7511,913

l 275 Claims.

This invention relates -to gastroscopes; lftsob- `lect is to provide agastroscope having means for controllably exing it in any direction within a stomach being examined.

More specifically, my invention aims to provide a gastrosccpe having iiexing means that is entirely enclosed in a flexible outer sheath of' the mid-section of the gastroscope, whereby the external surface thereof is smooth to facilitate insertion through the esophagus.

Other objects Will become apparent in `the ensuing specification and appended drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a gastroscope embodying my invention, parts being broken away and shown in section to better illustrate the internal structure thereof;

Fig. 2 is a View of the control end ofthe `gastroscope;

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional View` taken longitudinally through three separate portions of the gastroscope;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail .sectional View through a section of the gastroscope; and

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional View taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

As an example of one form in which my invention may be embodied, I have `shown in the drawings a gastroscope embodying a rigid, tubular handle section 6, a flexible mid-sectionv .'l, and va tip section 8 having a viewing window y9 and a lens lll for projecting into the stomach interior, illuminating rays from lamp mechanism contained within the tip section 8, and an outlet 8a .for injecting air into the stoinactn The tip .section 8 is of conventional structure and the details thereof are therefore not illustrated.

At the end of the handle section li is an eye piece li, through which an` operator may sight into the eXble mid-section l. The mid-secticn 'l' comprises a series of tube sections I2 each having a lens i3 mounted in one Iend thereof, and each having at one end an annular outwardly extending ilange i-l and its other end piloted in the adjacent end of an adjacent section. The piloting preferably utilizes a ball and socket connection Illa which maintains a pivot axis concentric with the center of the lens i3;

The tube sections I2 are enclosed within a iiexible sheath I5 of conventional helically coiled metallic ribbon, and the sheath `l5 is enclosed within a tube l5 of resilient meteralsuch assoit rubber, which tube is in turn enclosed within an Ananrrular 2 air space between the tubes i3' and H provides a passage forthe how .of air into the-.tip 8. The anges lillbear loosely-against theinner surface of the sheath t5, `and the tube sections i2 are thereby maintained in. concentric` relation to the sheath l5, vwith-theA lenses I3pdisposed on a com mon optical. axis (each lens focused uponfalsncneedingr lens) v l Eachl flanged/l: is provided with Aa plurality-of bearing apertures t8 ofequidistant circumferential' spacing. The number oftheapertures lei in each flange may range from three upwardly; although I prefer te ern-ploy fourapertures. Through the apertures. 'i8 are extended a plurality'of operating-cables +9, each having'one end anchored' to the lowermost section l2' and its other end extend-ing4 through an opening 2li, in the handle member G'andsecured to anoperating ring. The operating ring, comprises a rim 2l and a plurality of spokes each embodying a tubular portion 22`securedto the riml and ashaft portion 2 3 telescoped in the tubular, .portion.22. .At `the inner ,end of the shaft portionl anenrcuate shoes 2li which are slidably. engaged: in.y ways 2,5 in a .band 2t4 which encirclesandis securedto .the handle shaft 5, Each shaft 23 Iisimgecl inwardly by a coil spring 2l compressed betweenits outer end and the rim 2l and received in the-tubular spoke member 32x .The band .Zis inthe forni .of anY vequatorial sectionv of sphere with acylindrical bore 4thesethroug-h, and the ways .25 are' artcuatelyocoucentric tothe center of' the sphere. Consequently, `the rim 2! willibe maintained at all times concentric with the spherical centerof the band "26, While being free to tilt invany direction. about this center. The arcuate shoes 24 prevent bodily'displacement of the plane of the rim 2l from the center of the sphere, andI prevent rotation of the rim 2l about the handle shaft 5 While freely pen mitting nonnotationa pivotal' (tilting) movement.

The nexible tubes l?. and IgT. may be fixed to .the handle. shaft. E and tip 3 inA ani/conventional manner, such as by means of ferrulesZS and 2.9. An air hose 33 may` .be connected-.tothe handle tube .6 `through an adapter. 34. and maycommunh cate withthe. annular spacebetwcenthe tubes .lli and l-l, through a ducts 35. A duct er lducts in the tip member il iiialfvnilrl` turn establish corn munication between the annular space the interior of the tip, from which air pumped through the tube 33` mayescape through-V opening 8a into the stomach to inflate the stomach for the purpose of examination.

It may now be noted that the sections I2 are floatingly mounted in the sheath I5, free for limited endwise movement and free to tilt with reference to each other as the sheath I and tubes I6, I'I are flexed along an arcuate longitudinal axis. The cables I9, passing freely through the openings I8 in the flanges I 4, act upon the sections I2 by drawing them closer together at one side thereof while allowing the other side to expand. This is accomplished by tilting the ring 2|. For example, if the ring 2| is tilted in a clockwise direction as Viewed in Fig. l, and as indicated by the dotted lines shown in that figure, the cable I9 on the left side of Fig. 1 will 'be drawn toward the eye piece end of the instrument while the cable on the opposite side will be slacked oil and permitted to move toward the tip end of the instrument. The result will be an arcuate flexing of the instrument toward the left as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1.

The lamp mechanism in the tip 8 is energized by an insulated current conductor 30 entering the instrument through a switch casing 3l and passing downwardly to the tip portion 8 between the sheath I5 and tube I6. It may be wound helically about the sheath I5 in a conventional manner. The other side of the circuit may, in accordance with conventional construction, utilize the metal sheath I5. A switch in the casing 3| may be actuated by an actuator 32.

A diagonally disposed mirror 3l, mounted in the tip section 8 in any suitably conventional manner, reflects the image coming through the window 9 into the articulated optical tube structure, and thence to the eye piece I I.

The uppermost section I2 is abutted against a shoulder 38 in the tube 6, to resist the pull of cables I9. The ball and socket connections Ma constitute pivotal end thrust bearing members which also resist the pull of the cables while permitting each adjacent pair of tube sections I2 to pivot about an axis located at the center of a lens I3, whereby the pull of a cable at one side will set up a couple, or turning moment, between each pair of sections, resulting in the flexing of the mid-section 'I.

I claim: l

1. In a gastroscope, a tubular handle shaft having an eye piece, a flexible tubular mid-portion connected to said handle shaft, a tip portion connected to said mid-portion and having a viewing window, means in said flexible mid-portion for transmitting to said eye piece an image received through said window, an operating ring having a universally tiltable connection to said handle shaft, and a plurality of cables connecting said ring to said tip portion and extending inside of said flexible tubular mid-portion, for transmitting flexing movement to said mid-portion.

2. In a gastroscope, a tubular handle shaft havlng an eye piece, a tubular flexible mid-portion joined to said handle shaft, a tip portion connected to said mid-portion and having a viewing window, a plurality of tube sections within said flexible mid-portion, each of said tube sections carrying an image transmitting lens, an operating member having a universally tiltable connection to said handle shaft, and a plurality of cables connecting said operating member to said tip portion for transmitting to said flexible midportion, flexing movement in any selected direction.

'3. In a gastroscope, a tubular handle shaft having an eye piece, a flexible tubular mid-portion joined to said handle shaft, a tip portion connected to said flexible lfubular mid-portion and having a viewing window, a plurality of tube sections arranged end to end in said flexible midportion and each having an image transmitting lens and an annular flange projecting outwardly and having bearing engagement with the inner surface of said flexible mid-portion for spacing its respective tube sections from the inner surface of said mid-section, said flanges each having a plurality of apertures therein, an operating member having a universally tiltable connection with said handle shaft, and a plurality of operating cables connecting said operating member to said tip portion and extending through the apertures in said flanges.

4. In a gastroscope, a tubular handle shaft having an eye piece, a flexible tubular mid-portion joined to said handle shaft, a tip portion joined to said flexible tubular mid-portion and having a viewing window, a plurality of tube sections arranged end to end in said flexible mid-portion and each having a lens for transmitting from said viewing window to said eye piece an image received through said viewing window, each of said tube sections having at one end an annular flange engaging the inner surface of the flexible mid-portion and spacing the tube sections from said inner surface to provide a series of annular spaces, an operating member having a universally tiltable connection with said handle shaft, each of said flanges having a plurality of circumferentially spaced apertures therein, and a plurality of operating cables connecting said operating member to said tip section and extending through said apertures and said annular spaces.

5. In a gastroscope, a tubular casing means including a flexible mid-section and a tip portion having a viewing window, means in said flexible mid-section for transmitting through said casing means an image received through said viewing window, said means comprising a plurality of tube sections each having an image transmitting l lens and each having means spacing it from the inner wall of said flexible mid-section to provide an annular space, said spacing means providing a plurality of annularly spaced apertures connecting said annular spaces, an operating member having a universally tiltable connection with said casing means, and a plurality of cables connecting said operating member to said tip portion and extending through said apertures in said spacing means and through said annular spaces.

6. In a gastroscope, a tubular handle section having an eye piece, a tubular flexible midsec tion joined to said handle shaft, a tip portion joined to said tubular mid-section and having a viewing window, means in said mid-section for transmitting from said window to said eye piece an image received through said window, said means including a plurality of tube sections arranged end to end within said mid-section and each having an image transmitting lens and means spacing the saine from the inner wall of said mid-section to provide a series of annular spaces, an operating ring having a universally tiltable connection with said handle shaft, said connection comprising a plurality of spring expanded telescoping spoke members connecting said ring to said handle shaft, and a plurality of operating cables connected to said operating ring and to said tip portion and extending through said annular spaces, for transmitting from said operating ring to said flexible midportion, flexing movement in any selected direction, for shifting said tip section from side to REFERENCES CITED Side The following references are of record in the 7. A gastroscope as defined in claim 6 wherein le 0f this patenti said teiescoping .spoke members eacli comprise a 5 UNITED STATES P TENTS sleeve portion rigidly secured to said operating ring and a shaft portion teiescoped into said sleeve Number Name Date portion, and a coi] spring under compression 373,000 Wolf July l2, 1930 Within said sleeve portion between the end of said 543,462 Schranz API'. 28, 1941 shaft portion and said ring. 10

PETER FREDERIC SALISBURY. 

